Paul Merson reckons ‘it’s not really working’ for Tottenham Hotspur, with Jose Mourinho’s initial ‘charm offensive’ having seemingly worn off.
Mourinho’s appointment as Tottenham boss back in November saw the Portuguese display a wave of positivity in the media, a stark contrast to his miserable demeanour during the final months of his Manchester United tenure.
His arrival at the north London club saw Spurs fortunes temporarily improve, winning four of his first five Premier League games under his charge, though their form has once again dropped off, winning just three of their last eight league games.
Spurs‘ drop in form has seen a frustration return to Mourinho’s persona, with Paul Merson surmising that the Portuguese will be questioning his decision to take over at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
“I said when he went there it would give them a lift and there would be a charm offensive – and he was all smiles for a while,” Merson wrote in the Daily Star.
“But everyone knew it wouldn’t last, didn’t they? He’s gone back to being Grumpy Mourinho again. And I don’t see how he’s improved them at all. Not one bit.
“He looks like he’s thinking: ‘What have I done coming here?’ You don’t see him high-fiving ball boys now do you?”
Having been 12 points behind when Jose took over, Spurs have cut the gap to fourth-placed Chelsea down to four. However, Merson doesn’t see them bridging the gap to the Champions League places over the remaining 13 games of the season, saying they have been ‘ripped to shreds’ in their recent games against Man City and Southampton.
“Mourinho is only there to get them into the top four,” Merson added. “I can’t see Daniel Levy wanting to win the FA Cup but not get back into the Champions League.
“But it’s not really working, is it? Chelsea are in the driving seat to finish fourth and I can’t see Spurs catching them right now.
“They are a very lucky football team at the moment because they’ve been ripped to shreds in their last two matches but still managed to win.”
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